Martin Struan
Lord Protector '''Martin Struan' was a Maar Sulais noble from the House of Struan who became infamous for his failed coup against the House of Aurelac during the Great War. He acted as a quisling, aiding the Yamatians in keeping Maar Sul divided and dealing with any attempts at insurrection until he was dethroned and executed by Kagetsu II. Ironically Martin was a descendant of Struin, an Andain who had been extremely loyal to Kagetsu I, the founder of Maar Sul. Biography Early Years Martin was born to the House of Struan which had served the House of Aurelac for centuries. However, when Yamatians and the Clergy of Mardük invaded Maar Sul during the years of the Yamatian Invasion and forced the royal family to flee, Martin saw a chance to usurp the throne for himself by aiding the invading forces. He was also approached by Belial de Ardyn from the Order of the Black Rose who promised to help him and the House of Struan in its grab for power as long as Martin kept the Order's involvement secret from the invading Yamatians. Distreyd Era :Main article: Struan Rebellion By the time the Great War began and spread from Remon, Martin promised to help King Remy Aurelac in the Battle of Caer Goddard against the forces of Yamato. However, Martin did not arrive in time to help Remy and when he did, his forces attacked the Maar Sulais forces seemingly in confusion but which was actually a deliberate tactic. The battle resulted in Remy's death. At the same time Martin's assassins poisoned Remy's daughter Réin Aurelac fatally, and Martin lied that Remy's remaining children, Geraud Aurelac and Kagetsu II, had died during the Liberation of Remon. He then bribed various nobles and used his connections among the Yamatians and the Order of the Black Rose to become the Regent of Maar Sul. Martin imprisoned several Loyalists, including Sen Wisteria, and sent an assassin after Geraud and Kagetsu II so that no one could threaten his claim for the throne. However, this proved unwise because the asssassin was captured, and the princely brothers learned of Martin's involvement in the Rebellion. While Geraud was away, Kagetsu II promised to personally take care of the treacherous Martin as the forces of the Grand Alliance sailed to Maar Sul to liberate the kingdom's capital. Death Kagetsu II managed to enter the Maar Sulais Citadel with a task force consisting of heroes of the Grand Alliance. Once he reached the throne room in the Citadel, he promptly executed Martin of high treason and for the murder of Réin Aurelac. The Order's operatives, including Belial, disappeared from the scene as soon as Martin had been defeated, but their efforts had not been completely in vain. During his time as a regent of Maar Sul, Martin had given the Order full access to some of the more classified Maar Sulais files, and this information leak would have grave ramifications for Maar Sul as a whole during and after the Great War. Aliases and Nicknames ; Usurper : A derogatory title given to Martin by Maar Sulais Loyalists. Appearance Martin was a middle-aged man with a weird moustache. Personality and Traits Martin was a scheming noble and an opportunist. Although most people consider Martin to be nothing more than a quisling, some circles claim that Martin was a tragic hero who was forced to take orders from Yamato in order to save Maar Sul from an even worse fate. He liked good wine and fast women. Powers and Abilities Martin was skilled in politics and knew how to manipulate events for his favour. Relationships Belial de Ardyn It remains unclear why Belial chose to help Martin from the shadows but Martin nevertheless was grateful for the information the Order provided. It was with Belial's help that Martin could locate the hideout of Réin Aurelac and send assassins to poison her. Belial only used Martin for his own ends and deserted the man's cause as soon as Martin was defeated. Belial would keep this fact hidden from the Grand Alliance by the time he began to collaborate with them over a decade after the Cataclysm. Kagetsu II Kagetsu II was furious when he heard of Martin's involvement in the deaths of Remy and Réin. Martin did his best to get Kagetsu II killed but he failed and it cost him his life when Kagetsu II beheaded him. Remy Aurelac Martin ostensibly acted as a loyal supporter of Remy during the early years of the Yamatian occupation, but as soon as Remy's children were spread out, Martin betrayed Remy by not coming to his aid in a crucial battle. This helped Martin take the throne for himself. See also *Battle of Caer Goddard *First Battle of Maar Sul *House of Aurelac *House of Struan *Maar Sul (nation) *Order of the Black Rose *Struan Rebellion Category:Characters Category:House of Struan Category:Humans Category:Maar Sul (nation) Category:Third Age Category:Yamato Empire